After Christmas, the Austrian government's next annual budget meeting begins again.
In fact, by this time, the budget battle between the various departments has ended, and now it is only the final round of determination.
If the issue of determining the budget is really brought to the meeting for discussion, it is estimated that in the last few days, it will be too late to even review the project materials prepared by everyone.
Prime Minister Felix delivered a report to Franz, saying: "Your Majesty, this is the annual budget plan for 1850. The main expenditures mainly include: military expenditure, government administration, education expenditure, land ransom, infrastructure construction, Cultural unification of these six items.
Among them, military expenditure decreased by 27.% compared with 1849, while education expenditure increased by 31%, cultural promotion expenditure increased by 32%, government administrative expenditure increased by 9%, and infrastructure construction expenditure increased up 44.5%. "
In general, apart from the decrease in military spending, all other expenditures have greatly increased. The exception is the land ransom, which didn't exist before.
While spending has increased, government revenue has also increased, otherwise the budget would not have been passed.
Franz took the budget report and just glanced at the budget summary.
The military expenditure was 61.5684 million dongs, including 10.6523 million dongs for the navy and 50.9161 million dongs for the army.
The war was over, and disarmament was completed in 1849. By 1850 it was normal for military spending to drop significantly.
However, it was only the army's military expenditure that fell, and the navy's military expenditure also increased by 1.5 million dongs compared with the previous year. It seems that the power of the colonial faction in the government has grown stronger.
The educational expenditure is 68.5094 million dong, of which the compulsory education stage education expenditure is 40.1641 million dong, the university education expenditure is 20.5632 million dong (including the scientific research expenditure of the university laboratory), and the middle school education expenditure is 7.7821 million dong;
The cost of education is much lower than Franz's estimate. On the one hand, compulsory education is still popularized and has not been completed; on the other hand, qualified families choose education for a better future for students. Better fee-paying schools.
On the surface, the education funds allocated by the Ministry of Education to students in all stages of compulsory education are the same. In fact, compulsory education schools also provide students with free three meals, school uniforms, and accommodation.
The cost of a child is not large, but if the number is large, it is not a small expense. It is initially estimated that the cost of 10 million dong will be reduced.
48,203,800 dong for infrastructure construction, including 20,152,000 dong for railway construction, 15,416,000 dong for post-war reconstruction, 10,263,200 dong for urban infrastructure renovation, other…
There is no way to do this. Some railways have no commercial value at all, but they have important military value and must be repaired.
Later generations also criticized the railways of the Austro-Hungarian Empire for taking care of the military and affecting commerce.
In order to avoid this situation, this kind of railway can only be repaired at the expense of the Austrian government, relying on private investment, and it is estimated that it will not be able to start construction in the next century.
Fortunately, these railways are not long, generally only 180 kilometers, the longest does not exceed 400 kilometers, and the total mileage is only two or three thousand kilometers.
After the construction is completed, it is connected to the Austrian railway network, which means that the domestic army can be put into the front line in the shortest time.
The government administrative expenses are 53.2821 million dongs, including 11.261 million dongs for enterprise management and 42.0211 million dongs for government agencies;
Seeing this, Franz frowned, it seemed that it was necessary for the state-owned enterprise to operate independently. There is no problem in merging them together in the short term. In the long run, relying on the government to manage enterprises will derail the market sooner or later.
The cultural promotion fund is 23.1608 million dong, which is an effort to unify the language.
Because of the influence of the policy of the Austrian government, everyone knows that it is easy to find a job after learning the common language, and it is relatively smooth to promote in the city, but it is troublesome in the countryside.
Franz also has no good way, coercion is impossible, it will only make things worse. It seems that it is impossible to unify the language in this generation, and it can only be done in the next generation.
All schools in the country have been forced to offer Austrian language classes, and they are still training teachers to try to ban local dialects as soon as possible.
That's right, in Austria's official documents, there is no national language at this time. There is only one language in the whole country - Austrian, and the rest are regional dialects.
If nothing else, since 1850, all primary and secondary school teachers must take the Austrian language test, qualified salary will be increased by one level, and unqualified preparations will be made.
Those who fail the examination for three consecutive years can prepare to go home. In order to promote the Austrian language as soon as possible, the Ministry of Culture and the Ministry of Education have made great efforts.
Needless to say, the land ransom is a fixed annual expenditure of 105 million rupiah as compensation for the purchase of the land of the nobles. This is paid by the peasants who acquired the land, and the government just changed hands.
These six expenditures alone add up to 359,724,500 dongs, and there are a large number of small budget items behind. The sum of the zero and zero sums up Austria's financial expenditure in 1850 as high as 423 million dongs.
If I had seen this budget figure two years ago, it is estimated that Austrian government officials would have fainted, which is almost three times the government revenue. Right now, everyone doesn't feel anything.
(Note: Hungary's finances were separated two years ago)
The land ransom for farmers is about 158 million rupiah, and after the government pays 1.05 for the aristocratic land, there is still an income of 53 million rupiah.
It's just that this income is not very stable and will fluctuate due to the impact of natural disasters. If it catches up with a major natural disaster, maybe the government will post some of it in.
There is also the tithe of the church, which fluctuates around 93.5 million dong each year. Due to the fluctuation of the price of agricultural products, the 20% tier paid to the church is deducted.
There is also a cost for the clergy to collect taxes. Fortunately, not to mention the hardships, and they have also helped carry the blame, so it is impossible for them to do it in vain.
In the hands of the government, there is only 74.8 million dong. It seems that there is still a surplus to pay for education. In fact, as long as the compulsory education is fully popularized, this money will not be enough, and the government will also subsidize it.
If these two expenses are deducted first, in fact, the budget of the Austrian government will not be scary.
4.23—0.748—1.58=243.2 million dong
There are also corporate managers' salaries, which can actually be deducted from the profits contributed by state-owned enterprises, but they are combined.
The estimated fiscal revenue in 1850 given by the Ministry of Finance is 230 million rupiah, and the total government revenue is estimated to be 480 million rupiah, including land ransom, tithes, profits from state-owned enterprises, real estate leases and sales, etc.
Subtracting the budget of 423 million, there seems to be a fiscal balance
Actually, this is not possible. The Austrian government still has debts, which are repaid. Up to now, the Austrian government has owed bank loans, various bonds, as well as corporate and personal debts, totaling 542 million rupiah.
These funds need to be repaid on schedule. In theory, if there is no change, the Austrian government has achieved a financial balance.
These are just ideals, and whether it ends up being a surplus or a deficit will be known by this time next year.
In 1848, the Austrian government achieved a financial surplus by ransacking homes, and in 1849 the Austrian government had a financial deficit of 7,256,800 guilders.
This number does not seem to be large, but it has continued to be a problem for a long time.
Especially at the critical moment when the Crimean War is about to break out, the debt to Britain and France will inevitably be affected in diplomacy.
This is reflected in history. The Austrian government has turned to Britain and France, and there are factors in this regard. The French even relied on loans to pull Russia out of the Three Emperors Alliance.
Unless you learn from the Kingdom of Prussia, you owe a debt to develop first, and then start a war when the development is almost complete. If you win, you will have money to repay the debt. If you lose, you will be finished.
Austria's family is very rich, and Franz is not ready to be a gambler. This is a strategy for the rise of a small country, and it does not apply to a big country.
Franz thought for a while and said, "Financial budget, just follow the above! Leave a budget of 20 million dong as a special fee to deal with emergencies."
Cut the budget
The content of this budget report has been reported to him by various departments for a long time. Unless it is better to exceed the limit, Franz will not do anything.
"Yes, Your Majesty," replied Prime Minister Felix.
In the face of a powerful monarch, the ministers naturally cannot be strong. The status of monarch and ministers is not equal, and the monarch has natural advantages.
At the beginning of the regency, Franz also used Metternich, the foreign minister, to check and balance Felix, the powerful prime minister. After more than a year of running-in, this situation has completely changed.
…
Without waiting for the German Federal Parliament to send a negotiating mission, under the strong pressure of Russian Foreign Minister Karl Wosselrod, on January 6, 1850, the Prussian army completely withdrew from Denmark, including giving up the Schleswig- The two principalities of Holstein.
Everyone knows that the next day is the Russian Christmas. Nicholas I has been suppressed for so long, and naturally he needs to vent.
As a trusted Karl-Worselrod, it is natural to offer a great gift on this special day. Unfortunately, the Prussian government has fallen into the background.
Franz thought so too at first, but after seeing Metternich's bright smile, he knew that things were not so simple, and the Austrian Foreign Ministry probably played a disgraceful role here.
Franz naturally doesn't know anything, it's normal for the boss to suppress the second child. As the two major states in the German region, Prussia and Austria are both cooperative and contradictory.
In recent decades, everyone seems to be friends. It's just that since the Frankfurt meeting, the relationship between Prussia and Austria began to rapidly alienate.
Yes, just alienated rather than worsened, the two sides have not yet had a direct conflict. The "Three Kings Alliance", which the Prussian government attempted to establish, was destroyed by the Austrian Ministry of Foreign Affairs as soon as it started its operation.
The Austrian government also formed the Holy Roman League to isolate Prussia in the German region while the Kingdom of Prussia was deeply involved in the Prussian War.
All these prove that there is no room for two tigers in one mountain. The Kingdom of Prussia was unlucky to meet Franz, and the Austrian government settled domestic conflicts in advance and had the energy to stumble them.
"Do you want to send a note to the Kingdom of Prussia in the name of the German Federal Parliament and let them carry it?" Franz asked hesitantly.
After thinking about it, Metternich replied: "Your Majesty, if we do this, the Prussian government will probably obey orders, and the Russians will not hate us by then?"
Indeed, at this time, the German Confederation joined in, and the Prussian government could really drag everyone into the water.
Everyone knows that the Russians don't really want to do it. Once the strong men of the Prussian government break their wrists, give up their independent diplomatic rights, and let the German Federal Parliament take over, it will be a big trouble.
If they are cowardly, everyone will be scolded together with the Prussian government, and no one should think about it. If they resist, it is estimated that the Russians will really hate Austria.
Franz knew how vengeful the tsarist government was. The overall situation has been decided, there is no need to make extra arrangements.
Franz shook his head and said, "Forget it, after the Prussian government withdraws its troops, they will mobilize the people to ask them for an account.
At the same time, it is also necessary to expose the sinister intention of the Prussian government to use the war to divert domestic attention and make the German people cast aside them. "
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Metternich replied
Although he didn't feel that such a little trouble could hit the Kingdom of Prussia, it was still okay to be disgusted.
At least if this bad reputation is not washed away, it will become more difficult for the Kingdom of Prussia to annex North Germany.
In fact, annexation by force is the least desirable. If it cannot gain the approval of the people, it will be difficult for the increased land and population to be transformed into national power.